Propeller and steering device.



PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

W. J. HEARN. PROPBLLBR AND STEERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4. 1906.

n m m V N WITNESSES rm: Nexus PETERS ca, was/(moron; n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. HEARN, MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

PRorELLERIANDZSTEERINGIDEVIGE.

I No. 866,465.

Specification of Letters Efatent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed August 4, 1906. Serial No. 329,196.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. HEARN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Propellers and Steering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to propeller and steering device for vessels and has for its object a novel arrangement of these parts of the vessel. These and other objects of this invention are more fully set forth in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the vessel provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the means for simultaneously operating the steering gates.

The vessel 5 may be of ordinary construction and below the Water line is provided with a longitudinal tube 6 opened at the bow of the boat to admit the water and is provided with a cross bar 7, which forms a bearing for the front end of the shaft 8 having a screw 9 formed on it which fits the tube 6 and extends to within a short distance of the stern of the vessel. Towards the rear end of the tube it branches towards the sides providing two out-lets 10 and 11 through which the water is adapted to pass, and pivoted at each side of these branches are gates 12 and 13 which can be closed across the branch so as to close the outlets. The shaft of the screw is driven by means of the engine 14 which may be suitably geared to the shaft which passes through a water-tight opening in the hull of the vessel and is provided with the cranks 15, which the engine operates.

The gates 12 and 13 are provided at the pivotal points with shafts 16 which pass upward through the tube and to the deck of the vessel where they may be provided with arms 17 to operate them, and they may be so coupled as to so work in unison that when one gate is closed the other is open as shown in Fig. 3. When one of these gates is closed while the screw is in motion it causes the water to pass out of the other passage branch and moves the boat in that direction or when it is desired to reduce the speed of the boat these gates may be partly closed so that the water passing through is reduced and the effect of the screw diminished.

It is obvious that various modifications may be re sorted to in the construction of this device without departing from the essential features above described and shown.

As will be seen in Fig. 3 the gates 12 and 13 may be arranged to operate simultaneously and one open while the other closes in order that the water may be allowed to escape through one or the other of the outletslO and 11 so that the vessel may be steered by the expulsion. When the gates are held at a neutral point, the expulsion of the water is equal through both of the outlets and the boat is moved on a straight course.

The upper ends of the shafts 16 are provided with pinions 18 which mesh with a toothed segment 19 provided with the tiller or handle 20. As shown in Fig. 3 the movement of the tiller 20 to one side or the other will open one of the gates and close the other.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The herein described propelling and steering device for vessels comprising a tube extending from the bow of the vessel toward the stern and provided with lateral branches extending out through the sides of the vessel near the stern, a screw propeller journaled in the tube, and means for rotating said propeller, gates hinged at the rear end of the tube at its junction with the branches, a shaft connected to each gate and extending up through the deck of the vessel, pinions on the shafts, and a tiller provided with a toothed sector for engaging said pinions to rotate said shafts, essentially as described.

In testimony whereof, I atfix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM J'. HEARN.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. DUHAMEL, MAE W. CLINTON. 

